U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy said on Monday she made a first visit in jail to Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter accused by Moscow of spying, and found him in good spirits.

"This is the first time we've had consular access to Evan since his wrongful detention over two weeks ago. He feels well and is holding up. We reiterate our call for Evan's immediate release," Tracy said in a short statement in Russian on Telegram.

Gershkovich was arrested last month in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg. His newspaper and Washington have rejected the charge of espionage, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.